Rakitu Island, also known as Arid Island, is an uninhabited island off the northeast coast of

Great Barrier Island Great Barrier Island () lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, north-east of central Auckland. With an area of it is the sixth-largest List of islands of New Zealand, island of New Zealand. Its highest point, Mount Hobson, Great Barrier ...

in the

Auckland Region Auckland () is one of the 16 regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban areas of New Zealand, urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland, Auckland metropolitan area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands o ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. The island lies about off Whangapoua Beach, sheltering the bay of Whangapoua Creek.

Description

The island is located 2.5 kilometres from

. The island's shores are predominantly steep cliffs, that rise up to 180 metres from sea level. The island's vegetation is a mix of retired farmland, coastal

pōhutukawa Pōhutukawa (''Metrosideros excelsa''), also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree, or iron tree, is a coastal evergreen tree in the Myrtus, myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red (or occasionally orange, yellow o ...

mānuka Mānuka (; ''Leptospermum scoparium'') is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family (biology), family Myrtaceae, native to New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) and south-east Australia. Bees produce mānuka honey from its necta ...

and

kānuka ''Kunzea ericoides'', commonly known as kānuka or white tea-tree, is a tree or shrub in the myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New Zealand. It has white or pink flowers similar to those of ''Leptospermum'' and from its ...

. It is a refuge for many native bird species.

Geology

The island is composed of the remains of two late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

rhyolite domes. The volcanoes are a part of the Whitianga Group, which erupted between 8 and 12 million years ago

History

Rakitū Island is a part of the traditional

rohe The Māori people of New Zealand use the word ' to describe the territory or boundaries of tribes (, although some divide their into several . Background In 1793, chief Tuki Te Terenui Whare Pirau who had been brought to Norfolk Island drew ...

of Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea, and was home to the namesake ancestor of the

hapū In Māori language, Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief ...

, Rehua. The central valley was cleared for cultivations, and three

pā The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori people, Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive :wikt:terrace, terraces – and also to fo ...

sites and a number of

kāinga A kāinga ( southern Māori: ''kaika'' or ''kaik'') is the traditional form of village habitation of pre-European Māori in New Zealand. It was unfortified or only lightly fortified, and over time became less important than the well-fortified ...

were established on Rakitu. During the early European era, whalers used the island as a base. Following this, it was predominantly used as a cattle grazing area by European settlers. In 1994, the island became a scenic reserve, following its purchase by the

Department of Conservation Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. In 2020, the island was declared predator free.

References

{{Authority control Inactive volcanoes Island restoration Islands of the Auckland Region Islands of the Hauraki Gulf Miocene lava domes Nature reserves in New Zealand Protected areas of the Auckland Region Uninhabited islands of New Zealand Volcanic islands of New Zealand Volcanoes of the Auckland Region Lava domes of New Zealand

Description

Geology

History

See also

References